


Gift of the Selkie

by SuccubustyKisses



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Brief mentions of the other paladins - Freeform, Happy Ending, M/M, PTSD, Selkie AU, Selkie Shiro, military lance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-20
Updated: 2018-03-20
Packaged: 2019-04-05 00:41:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14032368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SuccubustyKisses/pseuds/SuccubustyKisses
Summary: His whole body hurt. When he drug himself up onto the sand out of the water, barely able to shed his sealskin pelt before it gave out. Face down in the sand he gasped for air, clinging tightly to his pelt as he tried to gather enough strength to keep going. He needed help. Help the sea could not offer him with its stinging touch to his open wounds. He just started to push himself up on a shaking arm when he heard the gasp.Footfalls moved quickly closer to him, kicking up sand as the owner skidded to a halt at his side. He tried to concentrate on the figure above him but all he could see was bright blue eyes looking down at him in terror. He opened his mouth to speak, his vision spotty and black. “Please, don’t-skin.” He felt the darkness taking over as he collapsed into the sand, a warm hand pressing into his bare back as he lost consciousness.





	Gift of the Selkie

**Author's Note:**

> This is dedicated to puppetmaster55 prompted from this post:  
> http://puppetmaster55.tumblr.com/post/170293750740/imagine-selkie-shiro-tho-who-gets-in-a-bad-run-in

His whole body hurt. When he drug himself up onto the sand out of the water, barely able to shed his sealskin pelt before it gave out. Face down in the sand he gasped for air, clinging tightly to his pelt as he tried to gather enough strength to keep going. He needed help. Help the sea could not offer him with its stinging touch to his open wounds. He just started to push himself up on a shaking arm when he heard the gasp.

Footfalls moved quickly closer to him, kicking up sand as the owner skidded to a halt at his side. He tried to concentrate on the figure above him but all he could see was bright blue eyes looking down at him in terror. He opened his mouth to speak, his vision spotty and black. “Please, don’t-skin.” He felt the darkness taking over as he collapsed into the sand, a warm hand pressing into his bare back as he lost consciousness.

 

* * *

 

When he awoke he was inside, but not a hospital like he expected. He groaned trying to push himself up but finding only one arm responding. With a frown he looked down, taking in the bandages that cover his body and the stump where his arm used to rest. With a loud groan he let his head fall back, thumping against the bed he was laid in. Sudden realization caught him and he jerked upright looking around frantically. He was in a small bedroom. It held just a bed, a small table, and two doors. His pelt was nowhere to be seen. Flinging himself out of the bed he would have missed the note had it not fluttered off the table at his sudden movements hitting him in the leg.

Swallowing down bile he lifted the paper up and looked at it.

_Handsome stranger,_

_You were attacked by a shark, I do not know the reason why you were in the nude in the ocean or why you kept the skin of a seal. But, really I don’t see the need to care. We have no hospital on this island, but I was trained in emergency first aid during my time in the army._

_I’m sorry I couldn’t save your arm. But, the seal skin you clutched so tightly to has been washed. I draped it over my railing outside. This is a private island, literally no one else here but you and me right now. So it’s safe._

He ran through the house narrowly avoiding knocking over a lamp in his hurry to find the door, flinging it open he looked outside to find his skin, sparkling like new, even with its scars from battle, in the sunlight. Letting out a deep sigh of relief he looked back at the letter.

_Theres a bottle of pain medicine in the kitchen, go ahead and take what you need I’ll grab more on my trip, just don’t overdose in my house… please? Feel free to eat, and if you need the coast guard there’s a phone by the couch you can use._

_Also, I left you some clothes on the end of the bed. Still curious why you’re naked but if you need em they’re there._

_I’ll be home around sundown.  
Lance_

He blinked at the letter for a moment, tilting his head in thought. Coming to a quick decision he nodded to himself and looked around the house. He found the clothes, picked them up and frowned at them before setting them back down on the bed. He moved along to find another bedroom decorated with glow in the dark stars. He smiled as he shut the door and carried on. In the kitchen he snorted at the lack of food that even sat in the fridge before rolling his eyes and shutting the door.

His eyes stopped on the table, focusing in on a plastic case open with various pieces of metal and string in small squares inside it. On top of the table sat a few weird tools next to a pair of earrings made with sharp looking shark teeth, dangling down, a hemp cord wrapped tightly around its top. He reached out picking up one of the earrings and holding it up to his face. With a small shrug he pushed it into his ear, wincing at the pain from reopening the hole he hadn’t used since his youth.

Glancing in a nearby mirror he brushed his long hair aside to look at the tooth dangling from his ear. He smiled, enjoying how the ivory color looked against the black of his hair, brushing the white from his star to the other side so it wouldn’t mix in and make the tooth look less vibrant. Turning back to the room he found a pen and pad of paper by the phone with a number scrawled on it. Ripping off an empty page underneath he wrote.

_Lance,  
Thank you for saving me. I am sorry if I have been a bother to you. I live nearby and had an unfortunate run in with an injured shark while I was on a swim. Thanks to you I’m still alive._

He chewed on the tip of the pen for a moment before continuing.

_Your hospitality was very sweet. Though I do wonder how you live out here on your own with so little supplies and food._

_Take care of yourself,  
Shiro_

With a nod to himself he placed the note next to the other shark tooth earring, turning for the door. He paused at the exit looking back into the house before pulling the door shut behind him, grabbing his pelt, and following the call of the ocean.

* * *

 __  
Shiro flipped through the currents, dancing with the fish around him, weaving around coral until he came to his destination. With an excited flip of his tail he moved into the hidden entryway of the cave, batting at the angry waving tentacles of a sleepy octopus as he squeezes by. He follows the light reflecting off the water until he breaches its surface letting out a huff of air as he looks around the small cave. He drags himself up onto the bank and carefully strips away his pelt to stand on two feet. With clumsy movement he clambers up on top of a large rock to push at the rock blocking the light from inside the cave, allowing more than just the small sliver from before to shine in.

Grabbing a leather pouch he grins circling his small treasure trove, taking in the various glittering shells, the multitude of glittering rocks, and even a gathering of random human things he found on his travels and decided he liked. Letting his eyes wander the expanse of the cave he made his decisions. He scooped up a glittering blue stone, a few shells that sparkled rainbow in the light, and a black colored pearl. He stuffed them all into the bag before setting it down by his pelt and climbing up to pull the rock back over to hide his cave from above.

Putting his pelt back on he took the bag into his mouth and went back through the entryway into the open ocean, smacking at the angry octopus as he went. He hummed to himself as he headed for the shore of a small island and the nice man who helped him there.

* * *

  
It’d been a week since he left the gifts on the porch of the small house and Shiro was feeling restless. Did he like his gifts? Did he accept his gratitude? Or did he just throw them out to the ocean as trash? God Shiro hoped he didn’t throw them back into the ocean. Shiro gathered them all himself and he’d hate for them to just float off with the tide.

So he swam to the surface as the sun peeked over the horizon, popping his head up out of the water to look at the beach. The sand was cast in shadows as he moved closer, noticing the light on in the small house. Shedding his skin he carefully draped it over a rock far enough from the water that the tide wouldn’t take it away. Narrowly avoiding the pinch of an angry crab he walked up to the house and peeked up onto the porch.

The leather bag hung on a hook by the door, swaying softly in the breeze. Frowning Shiro tiptoed up the steps to grab it, feeling the bulk inside. He opened it up, feeing dejected until his eyes settled on a braided cord wrapped around a small wood carving of a seal. Shiro swallowed hard, his thumb running along the smooth back of the seal.

Pulling the necklace over his head he carefully maneuvered it around his earring to settle on his chest. Looking back in the bag he pulled out a folded up piece of paper.

_Shiro,_

_Thank you for the gifts, I’m assuming it was you that left them. They were truly beautiful. Feel free to stop up and talk to me sometime, it gets lonely on an island all by yourself, and you seem like a pretty okay person, I hope._

_With my gratitude,  
Lance_

Shiro could feel his cheeks heating up but he didn’t understand why. It was just a thank you note from a man he didn’t even remember the face of. Just those bright blue eyes. He glanced at the window, light filtering out of it and contemplated. Before he could reach a decision he saw a shadow pass by and froze. Quickly deeming it unsafe to stay he turned and ran off the porch, leather bag gripped tight in his fingers as he ran for the shore grabbing his pelt and with a skilled tumble, jumping inside and rolling into the ocean.

He tucked the bag away in a gathering of rocks before coming back up to the surface and looking out on the beach again. His eyes followed the human figure as it walked slowly down the porch steps, yawning and stretching his arms out above his head. He wore only a simple pair of blue shorts, tight against his thighs, and a pair of mismatched socks stuffed into his sneakers. Shiro make a huff of amusement looking at the red and blue socks before swimming closer to get a better look.

Lance was a tall human, his legs long, one of them shining a bright metallic silver in the morning light. He was clearly fit, muscles barely hidden away on his thin frame, and his hair fell softly into his bright blue eyes as he looked out at the ocean. His smile was soft as he watched the sunrise. Shiro swarm closer, his flippers meeting with the sandy bank.

Both of them startled when Lance turned his head, their eyes meeting it joint looks of surprise. Lance gasped tumbling back and Shiro let out a squeak of surprise before diving back into the water. Snatching up the leather bag he swam off into the ocean, fighting with himself not to look back.

* * *

  
It was only a day before Shiro returned, hiding his pelt away in a safe alcove and walking up the beach and towards the house. He gripped excitedly to the leather bag, an opalescent conch shell hidden away inside. Hanging the bag on the hook by the door he reached over and knocked on the wood.

He waited.

And waited.

His smile dropped as no one came to answer. Deciding maybe Lance just went for a run around the island Shiro moved out to the beach to bathe in the sunlight while he waited. Pulling his pelt back out to use as a pillow he snuggled into it in the sand and closed his eyes, thinking of soft blue eyes looking back at him.

__

* * *

  
“You’re going to get sunburned laying around on the beach like that.” The voice sounded amused. Shiro grunted burying his face deeper into his pelt to chase the last remnants of sleep. The man chuckled a warm hand falling onto Shiro’s shoulder. “I’ll just put some sunblock on you and you can thank me later.”

The hands moved slow, long fingers running cold lotion along Shiro’s neck and shoulders. They pulled away and Shiro nearly gave himself away by laughing at the indecent noise the bottle made as Lance poured more lotion into his hands. The touch returned moving with slight pressure along Shiro’s spine and out covering every bit of his back in the protective lotion before pulling away again. Soft fingers pressed into the arch of his feet and Shiro had to bite down on his lip to keep from jerking away and laughing.

Lance’s hands moved slowly up his legs covering every bit not buried into the sand with the lotion before he hummed to himself. “You know, it would serve you right to get a sunburn on your ass.” Shiro’s eyes shot open, thankfully his head was hidden in the soft fur of his pelt. He fought to keep his breathing even as a tentative touch was placed on his lower spine, just above the globes of his ass. Shiro held his breath as the hands moved down, spreading out around the bare flesh. “You’re either a really deep sleeper or one weird nudist.” Lance chuckled, his hands moving again to finish his quest before giving a small squeeze to his ass cheeks and pulling away.

Shiro listened, breath still fighting to escape, as Lance walked away. Waiting until he heard the sound of a door shutting to push himself up and stare wide eyed at the door. Cheeks flaring a bright red. He let out a long shuddering breath before flopping back down into his pelt, barely resisting the urge to scream as he relived the soft touch of the fingers on his flesh over and over again in his mind.

* * *

  
Shiro came back the next day, excited when he saw movement inside the house as he walked up the steps. Before he could even knock on the door it swung open revealing a smile brighter than the sun. “Well hey they big guy, come back to nap in the sand again?”

He blushed, how could he not when all he could think about all night was the feel of those long fingers running along his skin. With a small laugh Shiro forced out an answer. “Sorry about that. He reached his hand up to rub at the back of his neck. “It must be startling to find the same man passed out on your beach naked more than once.”

Lance laughs, shrugging his shoulders as he leans against the door frame. “I don’t mind too much, at least it’s a nice view.” Before Shiro can respond Lance is turning around headed back into the house. “Though I do wish you’d give a bit of a warning so its less of a shock.” He went around the counter of the open floor area into the kitchen and picked up a steaming kettle holding it up towards him. “Tea? We can sit on the porch and enjoy it if you’d feel more comfortable?”

Shiro nods, a smile pulling at his lips as Lance hums and gets to work pouring tea into two cups and settling two silver balls inside them. He walks over slowly, careful not to splash the hot liquid as he hands a cup over to Shiro. Looking down Shiro takes in the small shark fin floating on top of his tea and chuckles. Grinning Lance moves past him to flop down on the steps of the porch looking out at the ocean. “Come join me. We can talk about something, or nothing… or I can do all the talking if that makes you feel more comfortable.”

Shiro nods moving to sit down slowly next to Lance, the cotton of his shirt brushing against Shiro’s bare arm as he gets settled. “I love the ocean.” Lance starts taking a sip of his tea before frowning and continuing. “When I look out at the waves I can forget everything and just feel at peace. No need to think about war, hospitals, homophobic assholes… nothing else matters when you’re in the ocean but the flow of the water around you and the hum of the life within it.”

He glances over at Shiro, giving a soft chuckle as Shiro tastes the tea wrinkling his nose at the bitter taste on his tongue. “That’s why I moved out here. After I lost my leg, I was real messed up. My friends tried to help me, hell they even built me this new fancy waterproof robotic leg… but then I decided to confess my love to an old war buddy. He didn’t take it well, to say the least. The violent rejection fucked me up even worse. Before I knew it I was having flashbacks just from flashes of headlights in my windows, I wasn’t getting any sleep at all, and any loud noise had me going into a trance of violence.”

Shiro set his tea down on the soft wood and hummed softly, resisting the urge to pat Lance’s shoulder so he didn’t accidentally cause any further trouble. Lance smiled sadly over his shoulder at him before continuing. “It was fireworks that finally broke me. The kids down the street excitedly lighting them off, I almost killed myself that night. That’s when my friends suggested I leave.. and well, here I am.”

“I’m sorry, Lance.” Shiro said softly, moving slowly, he made sure Lance saw his movements as he went, carefully wrapping an arm around his shoulder to give a comforting squeeze. “But, I think I’m glad you came here. After all, you saved my life.”

Lance’s blush was cute, a dark red filling in his tan skin quickly turning his whole face into a beacon of embarrassment. He quickly turned his head burying it into Shiro’s chest as he laughed, then sobbed, into the comfort of his hug. Shiro just wished he had both his arms to give the boy the support he deserved.

They sat together on the porch well past sunset, talking of the ocean and then of the stars. Shiro felt the dead weight against his shoulder as he went on about star mapping to not get lost in the ocean. Looking down he saw only the mop of brown hair as soft even breaths puffed against his skin. “Lance.” He didn’t respond, Shiro shifted a bit giving him a small nudge. “Lance wake up, go inside to your bed silly human.”

Lance responded by trying to burrow deeper into Shiro’s flesh. With a soft chuckle Shiro nudged him a little harder causing him to groan out. “Stop moving pillow.”

Shiro laughed out loud, quickly clamping a hand over his mouth to try and muffle the sound as he snorted through his nose. Lance leaned back, staring wide eyed before grinning himself and bursting into laughter.

* * *

  
Shiro visited as much as he could, he even put on clothes to meet Lance’s friends on the beach one day where they all talked about cryptids and theories that cut too close for Shiro’s comfort, but Lance always found a way to keep it steered away from talk about him, which Shiro was thankful for. They roasted marshmallows and Shiro had never had anything more delicious in his life until they then introduced him to the sandwich they called a s’more.

Shiro had grown attached. Too attached. And he knew it. Staring across the fire as Lance laughed, draped over the angry female with glasses that practically took up her entire face. Shiro didn’t even catch what caused him to laugh, too entranced by the sparkle of happiness in his eyes only accented further by the flickering flames.

Shiro was in too deep.

He didn’t want to come back up for air.

When Lance’s friends left Shiro stood with him on the beach, his arm wrapped around Lance’s shoulder as they watched the ship disappear over the horizon. “Hey Shiro?”

Shiro hummed.

“Thanks. For always being here for me. I know I came here to be alone… but, I’m really glad I met you.” Shiro looked down into nervous blue eyes, watching Lance quickly turned red and looked away. “You mean a lot to me.”

“Lance.” Shiro moved his arm from around Lance’s shoulder, using his fingers to push up on his chin so their eyes could meet again. “I’ve never been happier for anything in my life.”

Lance’s eyes widen, his lips turning up into a small smile before a look of determination crosses his features. Taking a deep breath he moves forward, fingers tangling into the shirt Shiro still had on and tugging lightly. Shiro moved forward, their lips meeting together in a tentative kiss before both of them pulled back to stare wide eyed at each other.

They crashed back together quickly, their teeth clashing before they found a rhythm. Pressing their lips, then tongues together. Lance’s hands moved up to bury into Shiro’s long hair, Shiro’s arm moved down to wrap around Lance’s waist pulling them tight together. Cursing humans and their need for clothes to be decent when he couldn’t feel the press of Lance’s chest properly against his own.

Shiro was in too deep.

So deep he couldn’t see a way out.

But with the sparkle of blue eyes in front of him, he didn’t have it in him to care.

* * *

  
The next morning he woke up first, sliding out of the bed and tucking the blankets tight around Lance’s sleeping form. He pressed a soft kiss to his temple before leaving the room and then the house. He moved quickly across the sand to the hidden alcove where he pulled out his pelt.

With a glance back over his shoulder Shiro made up his mind and slipping into his skin he disappeared into the water, swimming quickly against the current to his treasure trove.

* * *

  
He swam as fast as he could, but obviously it wasn’t fast enough. For when his head breached the water by the island he saw Lance, sitting nude on the beach, arms wrapped around his legs as he stared out at the waves. His eyes glistened with moisture and Shiro cursed himself for not thinking to leave a note as he pushed himself forward onto the sand.

Lance looked over at him, taking in the ragged seal covered in scars with only half a flipper on one side, a star of white on its forehead the only spot different from the sleek black that was the rest of him. He turned away, looking in the other direction as another sob shook his form.

Shiro cursed practically ripping his pelt off as he moved forward dropping the pelt over his shaking shoulders. He wrapped his arm around Lance, pulling him close and apologizing over and over again, practically begging Lance for his forgiveness for leaving unannounced. Lance’s sobs calmed down to sniffles then slowly he opened his mouth, voice ragged as he spoke. “I knew.” He started shuddering out a breath as he continued. “I knew it was stupid to fall in love with you. I knew you’d never love me back. I read every book, every story I could find online, every piece of lore. None of them had happy endings, Shiro. Either the human was left, or worse killed, or the Selkie was miserable. There was no happy ending. I knew it was impossible but I still fell in love with you.”

Shiro clung tighter, pulling Lance against his chest. “Lance I-“

“No, it’s okay. I get it. Really I do. Just… give me a little time, okay? Then we can go back. Back to how it was before.” Lance refused to look up, his eyes practically burning holes into the sand at his feet.

“Lance, I can’t do that.” Lance hunched over, further onto himself as he let out a small whimper. “I can’t go back, because… Lance. I gave you my pelt.”

Lance froze, his fingers tightening on the skin draped over his shoulder as he looked up at Shiro in confusion. Licking his suddenly dry lips Shiro continued. “I give you my pelt, Lance. Because I trust you not to hide it from me. I trust you to treat it with the same love and respect I do, if not more. I gave you my pelt… because I love you Lance.” He moved his hand around, picking up the leather bag and pulling out the item inside. A thick silver band, imbedded in the middle with a multitude of glittering sapphire.

Blue eyes darted down to the ring, then back up at Shiro. “I don’t…”

Shiro barely resisted the urge to fidget as he looked to his side, out at the calm waves. “Humans… give each other rings, right? When they want to mate for life?”

It was silent. Shiro couldn’t breathe. Lance moved first, his arms wrapping around Shiro’s neck as he lunged forward toppling them over into the sand. “I love you Shiro.”

“I love you too, Lance. I feel the call to be with you stronger than that of the ocean’s waves singing for me to dance in them.” Shiro buried his nose in Lance’s hair, taking a deep breath of sand, saltwater, and sand.

They laid together for a long time, the seal pelt draped over their bodies before Shiro broke the silence. “Hey Lance… how did you know? I mean… what I am?”

Lance laughed, pointing over at his house with his left hand, the sapphires glittering happily on his finger. “I have security cameras dude. I’ve known all along. Just didn’t feel right telling you before you were ready for me to know.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked it. Thank you for reading. 
> 
> Your comments and Kudos fuel me! 
> 
> If you like what I write and want to help a mother out please pop over to my tumblr and click the link to buy me a ko fi.


End file.
